Flying high in the sky
“It’s hard to believe we get paid to fly through the Whistler backcountry every day.”
These words come from The Adventure Group’s Superfly Zipline supervisor, Jono Eastwell. With five years under his belt, he knows what he’s talking about, and you can tell he’s stoked about his job. The day starts bright and early for Jono and his team of guides as they open the ziplines before the guests arrive. “This can be spectacular, watching the sun rise on a beautiful, quiet morning in the Whistler backcountry and it’s quite a contrast to the busy day ahead with guests shrieking across the ziplines,” he said. For Jono, the best thing about working on the ziplines is watching people step outside of their comfort zone and sharing their sense of achievement after they overcome their fears. It’s easy to see why people might find the whole experience daunting, as they are harnessed in and glide on the ziplines at speeds reaching up to 100 km/hr, but with the encouragement of a professional guide, those fears are soon dispelled and people let loose and enjoy the ride. Aside from the guides who are always on hand to help, a unique harness system creates the most comfortable ride possible and the automatic braking system is spring loaded at the end of each zipline so there’s no need to stress about having to brake yourself. Stretching to well over a kilometre, four side-by-side ziplines allow you to savour the experience of soaring across mountain valleys and through old growth forests, starting from the base camp at Cougar Mountain. As for memorable moments on the job, Jono turns to some special groups he’s worked with over the years. “We have had a few adaptive groups where guests are in wheelchairs or without use of a limb and they are always the most memorable and emotional,” he said. Jono says that ultimately, it’s the team effort that makes the job worthwhile. “There’s a large team at Superfly Ziplines and you get to work with everyone, we’re a fun group of dynamic adventurers.”